Governor vetoes bill giving more power to reservoir board

JACKSON — Gov. Phil Bryant has vetoed a bill that would’ve given municipal powers to the board that operates the Ross Barnett Reservoir near Jackson.

Republican Bryant, who lived near the reservoir for more than 20 years, says the bill would’ve given “unlimited taxing authority to an unelected board to provide unspecified municipal services in the leasehold areas of the Ross Barnett Reservoir.”

Many people who live near the reservoir lease their land from the state through the Pearl River Valley Water Supply District, which has an appointed board.

The measure he vetoed Wednesday is House Bill 1584. Overriding a governor’s veto takes a two-thirds majority of the House and Senate, and it appears unlikely that the bill’s supporters could generate that level of support.